Tall ship, 'The Gift of the Youth' arrived in its home country Poland on Thursday (March 28), following a 10 month round the world journey to celebrate 100 years of Polish independence.
Crowds gathered in the northern port city of Gdynia to watch as the boat sailed towards land, its sails cutting through the low hanging fog.
Onboard, a crew of over 1000 people including hundreds of young people who won a nationwide patriotic essay writing contest and students from Gdynia's Maritime University waved as they returned to their homeland.
On land, there were tears of joy as family members reunited for the first time in months.
The crew members hailed the trip as a "great adventure." Aleksandra Kozowska, one of the young crew members, said the voyage was an opportunity to see parts of the world that many crew members wouldn't have the chance to see otherwise.
The Gift of the Youth, the first Polish-built, ocean going sailing vessel to circumnavigate the globe, was commissioned in 1982 as a replacement for her forerunner, 'The Gift of Pomerania.'
Upon her arrival to her home port, Polish Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation Minister Marek Grobarczyk announced that she would be retiring following the conclusion of her voyage to ports in four continents, across three oceans.
A replacement ship would be constructed, he added.
In 2018 Poland celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the second Polish republic from territory seized in the 18th century by the Russian, Austrian and Prussian empires.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters TV